Five books for the Depressed and Angry
The world is not an easy place to live in. This is not a new realization as this has always been the case from centuries past. There is just so much we want to rant about, too many things that upset us and lead us to despair, sadness so heavy we can slice through it, a pain in the heart, the disappointment, sorrow that doesn’t seem to lift, a general hopelessness that nothing seems to take care of. Let me assure you that everybody has been there, you are not alone. Case by case, some are worse than others; if you look outside yourself, you are probably better than other people. This collection therefore is for those who are on the fringe of great sadness and particularly for those who seem to be in a permanent state of unhappiness. Depression described as the malaria of the mind is very hard to shift. Permanent anger is one of the symptoms and constant sadness is another. These books will help to lift your spirit, hard as it may sound, this is possible. Cheer up. “E go better. ”Sheryl Sandberg, Chief operations officer of Facebook and her psychologist of many years Adam Grant have written an excellent book tilted Option B to address problems of unhappiness. This book, making its second appearance on this page this year completely blows my socks off. Using personal experiences, the pain of her past and the loss of her husband, Sheryl Sandberg provides the most amazing template for finding happiness in the middle of a storm. Away on holiday in Mexico with her family, her husband dies in a gym in a hotel and she was the first to find him sprawled on the floor and bleeding from his ear, memories that never go away. Sheryl is back at work with the support of her family, friends, her boss and friend CEO of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg who helped her through those dark days of mourning and guilt which tells her erroneously that she could have done better and kept her husband alive. Along with award winning psychologist Adam Grant who had seen her through an earlier loss years ago, Sheryl builds us a full proof process for resilience which everyone needs to overcome challenges in life. She also brings us up to date on coping mechanisms, your ability to manage stress better, cognitive behavioral therapy and journaling; all things and more that can lift our spirit. Three of the greatest lessons from this book are a) That what is happening is not your fault b) That this is happening if not worse to other people, you are not alone c) That it would not last forever d) That it can be conquered So always look on the positive side and hold unto hope and ensure that you have support, stay among people so that you don’t enter the state of social withdrawal which is very difficult to cure and do the many things that make you happy.
2) Readers Digest: From when I was thirteen I started reading this really inspiration, life lines and motivational stories. There’s nothing more exciting than to have a copy of Reader’s Digest while waiting at the airport, been driven, before going to bed or even after I arise from my prayers because of its modular fashion and various exciting segments. If you pick up a copy of Readers Digest, you could read the particular edition for two months bit by bit. This makes it a quick read. It is not a long boring novel of three hundred and sixty-two pages. It is just a magazinelike piece of work, cute and small. Easy to carry around. If you ever feel a tinge of sadness or unhappiness coming up, grab a copy of Readers Digest and trust me it does not have to be a current edition. It’s always an uplifting read.
3) This is a good time to read and practice from a cookery book. Any cookery book will do. It has been proven that cookery is very therapeutic so get cracking with that book which teaches you Indian or Chinese cuisine. Get out of your comfort zone. Learn to bake a cake. And this should not be gender led. Man or woman, young adults, anyone, get into that kitchen, watch your recipe transform into food and see your smile go from ear to ear for your accomplishments. Build your happiness gene with this really relaxing exercise.
4) Any book by a comedian is good sport for this state of mind. Anything to bring on the laughs. Go on read it. A few chuckles in your room alone will do you no harm. Comedians can bring it on, share in their hilarity.
5) Any book on charity OR VOLUNTEERING. If you are feeling unhappy, sometimes you think you have no purpose in life. Find your life purpose by volunteering, working for free at a charity outfit, visiting kids in a motherless babies’ home. This gives you great joy when you are doing something for people who cannot pay you back. You therefore need to read a book on how to do charity, how to volunteer etcetera.